Service-Learning

Service-learning combines academic study, community involvement and critical reflection. Through service-learning, students collaborate with others within or beyond the university, engaging with public issues in ways designed to develop particular knowledge, skills or abilities.

Brock University offers service learning opportunities across all academic programs at various years of study, from first year to fourth, as well as some graduate courses and co-curricular service-learning opportunities both locally and internationally.

Within Brock's current Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA), which can be viewed here, service-learning has a strong presence in areas referring to "student-centered teaching and learning" and "serving the 21st century learner". Brock will be working to achieve this agreement within the next three years. An overview of goals outlined in the document relating to service-learning include:

An additional 200 first- and second-year students will be provided by new service learning courses developed using Brock’s established model. These courses enhance student engagement, community involvement, and student academic success by awarding academic credit for service learning in community-based placements.

International service learning courses will help meet Brock’s internationalization goals by introducing 20 international service learning field courses.

Experiential capstone courses for 200 more upper-year students will enhance Brock’s noteworthy NSSE scores for senior students by expanding active-collaborative learning, undergraduate research, and student-faculty interaction by making available paid research and administrative activities for which they will receive academic credit.

The Service-Learning Resource Centre engages with faculty, staff, community partners and students and will be working to support this mandate as Brock focuses on high quality teaching and using innovative pedagogies including service-learning to make students, and student-centered learning, a top priority.